


dinner dates and holidays (and he still comes in through the window)

by quietlyintoemptyspaces



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Assumed Relationship, Derek Needs To Use His Words, Derek needs to redefine his relationship bases, Derek uses the door, Domestic, Getting Together, Grocery Shopping, Holidays, M/M, Sheriff Stilinski is a Good Dad, but mostly sticks to the window
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-16
Updated: 2013-05-16
Packaged: 2017-12-12 00:44:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/805172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietlyintoemptyspaces/pseuds/quietlyintoemptyspaces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John should have a talk with Derek. Without handcuffs and the threat of impending imprisonment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dinner dates and holidays (and he still comes in through the window)

It’s a rare day that they get to do this together, just him and Stiles arguing over groceries and trying to toss in the unhealthiest things he can find into the cart – not that he’d actually eat them – just to see Stiles squawk. His son’s funny – when he’s not trying to kill him with tofu and veggie burgers.

The cashier smiles at Stiles, and it would probably set something overprotective off in John if not for the fact that it’s the same woman they’ve been seeing for the past three years. “Where’s that young man of yours?”

Stiles laughs. John frowns. Heather can’t mean Scott; she’s seen the three of them together, and just Stiles and Scott on their own often enough, and she’s never called either of them the other’s young man. Stiles scratches the back of his head. “Derek, you mean?” Again with that kid? Know him a little better indeed. “Nah, he’s off playing in the woods. Probably mad that I wouldn’t let him buy out the butcher block.”

Heather leans in a little closer as she drags their items over the scanner. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but he came back yesterday with that one girl… the scary one, and they hit it pretty hard.”

“Erica,” Stiles says and nods. “I thought they might.”

“Is he…?”

John doesn’t know what’s going on, doesn’t even know what that question means, or if it even is a question, but Stiles evidently does understand.

“No. It’s kind of like a Big Brother program. He helps keep some of the local trouble makers focused on not making trouble.”

Heather makes a noncommittal sound and tells them their total. As she handing back the change she says, “He’s a keeper, that one.”

-

John’s not following Stiles. He’s really not. It’s just pure coincidence that he spots his son sharing a meal at the diner with a group of very made-up, sparkly ladies, a group he’s sure he’s seen outside Jungle on more than one occasion.

John watches for a minute as Stiles laughs with them over the banana split he’s sharing with the one in blue. He really doesn’t want to know that joke.

-

John’s really, really, not meaning to listen to Stiles as he talks to Danny in the bedroom, but he happens to be passing by and the door is cracked. And Stiles is really horrible at being quiet.

“Are you sure you’re not attracted to me? Like, at all?”

John’s going to pretend he didn’t hear anything. For his mental health.

-

“Sheriff,” one of his officers greets by the coffee pot in the break room.

“Anderson,” John greets back, eyeballing the box of donuts and wondering what the chances are that he can get away with one without Stiles finding out. 

“Saw Stiles the other night. How long has he been dating that Hale boy?”

John congratulates himself on neither spitting his coffee out nor spilling it in his lap. “Derek Hale?” Because what else can he say?

Anderson nods. “Yeah, that’s the one. Saw them sitting in that fancy car of his on one of my routes. They stayed there for a while, too. I caught them one time with Stiles feeding Hale, stuffing curly fries in his mouth. And I know how Stiles is about his curly fries, so I figured they must be dating, since nothing short of true love could part him from curly fries.”

“He doesn’t even share with me.”

John should probably have a talk with Derek. Without handcuffs and the threat of impending imprisonment.

-

The first time he gets to talk to Derek is, ironically, in Stiles’ room. And Stiles is nowhere to be seen.

“Derek?” John asks, because if he’s hallucinating this, he’s going to go into work in the morning and request another psychological evaluation.

Derek tenses and drops the bag of clothes he’s holding. “Sir,” he says cautiously. “Hi.”

“What are you doing in my son’s room?” It’s a good thing he doesn’t wear his weapon in the house, otherwise he’d have a new crime scene to deal with.

It takes a moment for Derek to answer, and when he does he bends to grab the bag again. “Clothes. Stiles asked me to get them.”

“I thought he was staying at Scott’s tonight.”

“Scott’s coming too.” John raises his eyebrows at the implications of that, and Derek rubs tiredly at his eyes. “Dammit,” he mutters. “It’s not… There’s a whole group. Stiles and Erica suggested it. Some kind of… I don’t even know what it’s supposed to be.”

“Is there cooking involved?” When Derek nods, John takes a deep breath. “Don’t let Stiles near any open flame.”

“Yes, sir.” Derek actually laughs a little. The window behind him is open. John shakes his head.

“Son, next time? Use the door.”

-

Derek doesn’t use the door next time. John knows this because he never heard the door, but Derek is still there, sitting in the desk chair in Stiles’ room, reading what is probably one of Stiles’ research papers, while Stiles sleeps over the covers on his bed, Derek’s jacket draped over his back.

Derek glances up at him when he peeks his head around the door and stands silently, closing the door gently behind him. “Sorry, sir.” John thinks he means the window vs. door thing again, but he continues with, “He finally went to sleep a few hours ago.”

They’re both fully dressed, John tells himself. Nothing happened. Last night, at least. Hopefully. Derek must see it on his face.

“No, he just couldn’t settle enough to sleep. Kept texting me. So I came over and,” Derek shrugs, “kept watch.”

“He likes you.”

Derek smiles. “I don’t know why, but yeah.”

“And you like him.”

“It’s hard not to.”

John sighs. Isn’t that the truth. “Breakfast?” he asks. 

-

John runs into Derek at the grocery store, glaring at the list in his hands. John knows that look, and when he gets closer, he can tell by the handwriting exactly why that is so. “He put veggie burgers on yours too?” John asks, showing his own list.

“Yeah, but Isaac actually likes them, so I usually end up with veggie burgers anyway.”

Derek must be in a sharing mood. Or just getting used to awkward run-ins with the Sheriff. “Isaac? Isaac Lahey?”

“Yeah, he lives with me.” John didn’t know that. “He doesn’t have anyone else,” Derek explains. “And I know all his friends, so…” A shrug. John understands. Derek could probably relate a bit to Lahey.

“Bring him over for dinner tonight.” He’s not sure it’s a conscious thought, but it escapes through his mouth nonetheless. “We’ll do barbecue.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Call me John.” Since you’re my future son-in-law, he doesn’t say. Stiles is doing his shopping lists? Really?

-

Stiles face when he wakes up on Christmas morning to find Derek Hale in the living room is perfectly priceless. “Derek? I thought we were doing the thing with the pack later?”

“John invited me.”

Stiles’ eye widen comically. “Dad?” he squeaks at John, then turns back. “His name is Dad. Dad, okay? Or Sheriff. You cannot call him John.” He narrows his eyes. “You’ve been coming over a lot.”

Derek shrugs and smiles to further infuriate and incite. “John invited me.”

“You spend all your time with him,” John says pointedly.

Stiles opens his mouth. “Well, yeah. Friends do that.”

“You shared curly fries.”

“I was feeling generous.” John arches an eyebrow. “Yeah, I know, weird, right?”

“He sneaks in through your window. Still. Even though I told him it was fine to use the door.”

Stiles shrugs. “It’s easier. And he doesn’t wake anyone up if it’s three in the morning. But that’s only hypothetical, because a grown man sneaking into the Sheriff’s house in the middle of the night where he can be alone with a teenage boy? Nobody would be that stupid.”

John tries to ignore that. He really does. He mostly succeeds, but it’s definitely something he’s going to revisit later. “You do his shopping lists. And his shopping.”

“Have you seen where he was living? The kind of things he was eating? Vegetables! A man needs plant matter. He cannot exist on meat entirely. Scurvy is a thing. And other weird food related diseases from lack of proper nutrition.”

“I’ve been fine so far,” Derek says.

“Hah, yeah, right.” Sometimes John wonders if Stiles breathes sarcasm. “You’ve been lucky, and now you’re living with a growing boy, who needs proper food, not just what you buy from the butcher block and what you hunt in the woods.”

“You’ve seen me with my shirt off. Would you say that’s just luck?”

Stiles is silent, mouth working and eyes glazing. John doesn’t need to know the details. “So, who wants breakfast?”

-

Stiles thought it was funny to leave the mistletoe up after Christmas. It’s New Year’s Eve, and so far five people have been caught under it, including John, who had been saved by Melissa from Peter Hale or Chris Argent with a quick peck on the cheek. 

It’s probably complete strategic positioning that finally gets both Derek and Stiles under the damn thing at the same time. It’s surprising how adamant they’ve been about no outward displays of affection, and John wonders whose idea that was, because he’s never thought Stiles would be one to keep his feelings under wraps.

They stand there awkwardly, not really looking at each other, but they’re not making any move to kiss. Not even an affectionate, chaste peck. Either way, Isaac and Erica are both ready with their camera phones.

It feels like it takes forever before Derek finally makes the first move, pulls Stiles toward him and presses their mouths together. Stiles is tense until Derek starts to pull away, and then there’s more kissing. Wetter. John goes into the kitchen for a drink, but when he comes back they’re still kissing. It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. 

Until Peter wolf whistles, and then they’re jumping apart. It’s cute, really, how they’re both blushing.

John rolls his eyes. Like they haven’t been dating for the last year. At least.

-

“Just so you know,” Erica says to Stiles the next morning. John’s not sure he’s supposed to be hearing this. “I’m using your first kiss as my wallpaper.”

“That wasn’t my first kiss. Give me some credit.”

Erica shrugs. “It was with Derek.” Before she leaves she says, “Any other firsts that you want video or photographic evidence of, just call me.”

“Wha—? Erica!” Stiles chases after her.

When John turns around, Derek is staring at the coffee pot. John sighs. “I suppose you should just call me Dad.”

-

Stiles stares suspiciously. “You used the door this time. Are you broken?”

John hides a laugh behind his coffee cup. “Breakfast is on the table.”

“Why are you here?”

Derek is silent for a full minute. “Dad invited me.”

Stiles squawks and flails. “Dad? Dad? I was joking! You can’t call him Dad! He’s Sheriff! Call him Sheriff. Or John, if you must.”

Derek sits down at the table. “He told me to call him Dad.”

“No bacon. Ever. For either of you.”

John smiles. “You have to move out at some point, Stiles.”

-

“How long have you been dating my son?”

“Dad!” 

Derek takes a moment to reply. “Sophomore year.”

“What!”

John raises an eyebrow. The window is open. Of course it is.

“What do you mean sophomore year? A lot happened sophomore year, but I don’t remember any dates.”

Derek gives Stiles a look. John’s not sure how to classify it. “Our first date was spent at the vet’s office.”

Stiles opens his mouth and then wrinkles his nose. “Oh, dude, worst first date ever. Seriously?”

John sighs and starts to retreat from the bedroom. “For some reason, the fact that you weren’t aware you were dating doesn’t surprise me at all.”

From behind the closed door he hears, “Have we really been dating all this time? Because I demand a refund.”

Derek scoffs. “I don’t know why you’re complaining. You pretty much got to second base half way through the first date.”

“Punching you in the face to make sure you’re not dead does not count as second base. If it does, I’m not sure I want to play baseball with you anymore, because a homerun probably has something to do with shackles and a guillotine.”

John sighs and yells out as he reaches the start of the stairs, “I’ll see you guys for breakfast.” More quietly he adds, “Probably.” Because there are some things a father does not need to know.


End file.
